The Gemara in Kesuvos 111B says that "teeth are preferred over milk". In other words, if you meet a person, he would rather that you greet him with a warm smile than present him with a cold cup of milk.

I've often wondered how one would be able to be Mekayem Shammai's dictum. Perhaps in the shtetlach and small towns of yesteryear one would be able to greet all passersby; but in our day and age, particularly Manhattan's pedestrian traffic, this becomes an impossibility.

Yet if we follow Shammai's words, all is clear. We need to keep a perpetual smile on our faces when we are seen in public. Everyone who passes us by will then have a lift in their day.

8 comments:

1) We usually follow Beis Hillel when they disagree with Beis Shammai. Does the rule hold up for Hillel and Shammai themselves?2) Even if it does, where do we see that Hillel disagrees?3) Yes, in Manhattan it's impossible to greet everyone and frankly it would be creepy if you tried but you're not always in downtown Manhattan.

1. I don't think so.2. He doesn't disagree, but had this been said in his name, we would say it is something nice to do , but not a requirement.3. I think this explains well why New Yorkers are chastised for not saying Good Shabbos to everyone, whereas out-of-towners do. There are just so many people passing by.

"We need to keep a perpetual smile on our faces when we are seen in public. Everyone who passes us by will then have a lift in their day."

Perpetual smile = continuous smile. Seems like a carricature of a politician. ;-)

I don't think it is possible to do so. Also, if it is a perpetual smile, it may be, or come across, as false. I don't think Shammai's teaching should be stretched into that.

Maybe קבלת אדם means people we interact with, people we receive, which is what קבלה means, not just anyone who passes by?

Also, we need to think about what סבר פנים יפות means. I think the literal meaning is more like a pleasant expression rather than with a smile. A pleasant expression is not necessarily a smile. There is some room between a smile and a frown, and between a blank expression and a smile as well, it seems.

"I once heard an explanation of the Pasuk ולבן שנים מחלב, part of Yaakov's blessing to Shevet Yehudah, that it is to be translated as "teeth are preferred over milk". In other words, if you meet a person, he would rather that you greet him with a warm smile than present him with a cold cup of milk."